Veterans

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump laid out his plan to fix the country’s VA health care system. He was speaking Tuesday at the VFW convention in uptown Charlotte. Besides the plan, Trump also attacked Democratic rival Hilary Clinton, and some in the crowd joined in.

Next week, UNC-Chapel Hill is launching a physician assistant program largely designed for military veterans. As the U.S. military’s drawdown plays out in a big way in North Carolina, the idea is to help troops with medical training turn their experience into jobs – and better health care.

Garrison caps laden with pins are the current uniform of the choice at the Charlotte Convention Center. They are the trademark hats of the American Legion. On Tuesday, delegates at the group’s national convention were addressed by President Barack Obama.

This week about 5,000 delegates of the American Legion are in Charlotte for the organization’s national convention. This year’s gathering is marked by the recent uproar over accusations of mismanagement at the Department of Veterans Affairs and long wait times at VA centers around the country that some of have said led to deaths that could have been prevented. President Obama will speak at the convention Tuesday.

WFAE went to the convention uptown to speak with the American Legion’s National Commander, Daniel Dellinger.

At Badin Lake, volunteers took a group of 40 wounded American troops and disabled veterans fishing late last week. It was the second annual Top Shelf Fishing Festival for troops and veterans at the lake, about an hour northeast of Charlotte.

Paula Broadwell has mostly stayed out of the public eye since last November, when news broke of her affair with then-CIA director General David Petraeus. On Tuesday, she gave her first public speech since the scandal.

Construction began Friday – Flag Day - on the first Habitat Charlotte home built by veterans for a veteran. They're racing to finish within 2 ½ weeks, so the home can be dedicated on the eve of Independence Day. WFAE spoke with some of the participants at Friday's kick-off.